


It's Complicated

by canthelpmyselves



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Anger, Drinking to Cope, M/M, Mick is the voice of reason here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:01:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22907419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Mark just wants to get blackout drunk and forget what he just saw.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart(mentioned)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 123





	It's Complicated

Mark lifted a hand and motioned for the bartender to bring him another whiskey. It was his fifth one in under fifteen minutes, which put him right at the tipsy stage. He figured that at this rate, he’d be completely hammered in half an hour and black-out drunk soon after. Exactly what he needed tonight. The bar stool beside him creaked as someone sat down and he didn’t need to look to know who it was. The scent of smoke and beer was a dead giveaway.

“Rory,” he greeted, keeping his eyes on the bartop.

“You look like shit,” the big guy grunted.

Mark tossed back his drink and grimaced as it burned all the way down his throat. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically. 

Rory called over the bartender and ordered them both drinks, whiskey for Mark and a beer for himself. “You don’t wanna talk about it, do ya?” he asked.

Mark snorted. “No.”

“Good,” the other Rogue said, obviously relieved.

They drank in silence for a couple of minutes before Mark groaned and rubbed at his face with one hand. “He’s the enemy!” he snarled. “He locked me up! Shawna and Roy, too! He was there when that bastard cop killed my brother!”

Rory sighed and stood back up, his beer in one hand as he grabbed Mark’s arm with the other. He tugged Mark away from the bar, down the back hallway of Saints and out to the alley. “You just had to want to talk about it,” he grumbled under his breath. Once they were alone Rory released him and leaned against a stack of crates. “It ain’t what you think.” 

Mark shot him a drunken glare which the big guy ignored. “Oh, so I didn’t see the Flash sticking his tongue down the Cold’s throat while Cold had his hands on the Flash's ass?”

Rory blinked a couple of times. “Okay, so it is what you think. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Mark snarled. “They were naked!”

“You a bigot?” Rory asked calmly.

Mark’s jaw dropped. “No! I don’t care if Cold’s gay! I’m not exactly picky about gender, myself! It’s _who_ he is sticking it to that pisses me off!”

Rory finished his beer and tossed the bottle into the dumpster. “Snart doesn’t ‘stick it’ to anyone,” he corrected. “He’s a bottom.”

Mark flung his hands in the air. “That’s not the point!”

Rory shrugged. “Just sayin’. Gotta ask, though. You mad because it’s Snart and the Flash or are you mad that it’s Snart and West’s foster kid?”

“Both!” Mark yelled. He paused and reached up to run his hand through his hair. “Maybe more the West thing,” he admitted.

Rory stared at him for a long moment, long enough for Mark to shuffle awkwardly, before sighing heavily. “Look, I didn’t like it at first, either. Me and Lisa even tried to talk sense into Snart. The kid’s not just a cop’s kid or a hero, but a CSI, too. Triple trouble. Then Snart died.”

Mark startled. Cold died? What the hell did that mean? Snart wasn’t dead!

“Told you guys ‘bout the Legends,” Rory continued. “Told you about the time travel stuff.”

Mark nodded. He hadn’t believed it at first, but honestly, was it any more crazy than alien invaders or Nazi dopplegangers? It was insane, but then again, Central was an insane place ever since STAR Labs blew up.

“What we didn’t tell any of you was that he died on a mission. Sacrificed himself for the team,” Rory said, his voice cracking slightly. “Remember that big lightning storm a few months back?”

Mark nodded. He knew the story. The Flash had entered the storm to stop it and gotten trapped for a while. Hartley had helped the Flash’s team rescue him. If anyone had asked him, he’d have voted to leave the Flash in that prison forever.

“Snart died at this place outside of time, a sort of nowhere place. While Allen was trapped in the speed force, he discovered that Snart wasn’t dead. He was trapped in that explosion, pulled apart and body-less. He got Snart out of there and brought him back, too,” Mick explained.

“So what?” Mark grumbled bitterly. “Snart thinks he owes the Flash and pays him in booty calls?”

Rory sighed and shook his head. “No. Think about it. Snart’s a pain in the ass. Always has been, ever since he was a scrawny, loud-mouthed punk in juvie. He’s never gonna reform. He may play the anti-hero when it suits him, but he’s a thief, deep down in his bones. He’s a prick and a mess. He don’t trust and he don’t do nothin’ that doesn’t benefit him.”

“He’s working an angle?”

Rory shook his head again. “For once, no. See, that kid? He’s good. He’s a real hero. Selfless. Inspiring. He’ll put himself in the line of fire for anyone, friend or enemy. And he believes in Snart. He loves Snart.”

Mark scoffed but Rory simply nodded. “It’s true. The only thing he won’t do for Snart is abandon his morals. He’ll compromise. He’ll meet Snart halfway. Most of all, he gives Snart something he ain’t never had before. Unconditional love. Whether he’s pulling a heist or saving time, Allen loves him. He cleans Snart’s wounds. Cooks for him. Cuddles him. Hell, I’ve seen Allen carry him to bed when he’s fallen asleep over heist plans and never once looked at those plans, himself. He takes Snart on dates to France, Italy and Morocco. He bought Snart a giant polar bear for Valentine’s Day. Damn thing barely fit through the door and takes up half the bedroom at their apartment.”

“But we fought the Flash just two weeks ago!” Mark pointed out.

“Yep,” Rory agreed. “And we’ll fight him again at the next heist. And the one after that. And the one after that. Allen will do his duty because he’s a hero. But when it’s over? He’ll go home to Snart and he’ll still love him.”

Mark leaned back against the cold brick wall and closed his eyes. He thought carefully about everything Rory had said. He couldn’t imagine being in a relationship with someone you had to go up against. He couldn’t imagine being on such opposite ends and yet still trying to make the relationship work. Surely there would be too much conflict! How could you just set aside everything like it didn’t matter? 

But wasn’t that what love was? Setting aside everything for the one you love? The closest thing he had to compare was the love he had for Clyde. It wasn’t the same, he knew, but he had loved his brother unconditionally. Even when Clyde was a shit brother back, Mark never stopped loving him.

“Bottom line is, are you gonna make trouble over this?” Rory asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

Mark opened his eyes and slowly shook his head. “I don’t get it,” he admitted. “But maybe I don’t need to.” He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. “Me and Cold are good.”

Rory studied him carefully for a moment before nodding. “How about another beer?”

“You buying?” Mark asked.

Rory chuckled. “Sure, buddy.”

Rory pulled the door back open and led the way back inside. Mark settled back into his seat at the bar and accepted the whiskey the bartender passed him. No, he definitely didn’t understand it. And maybe, for once, that was okay.


End file.
